Powder vs Salt

[DeepRiver]

What's the difference in using powder vs salt, ie garlic/onion powders and salts.

[RonB]

I use powders because I don't know how much salt is in the salts, and I want to control how much salt is in the recipe.

[Potkettleblack]

I use powders because I don't want salt. I don't want an unknown quantity of salt.

[DeepRiver]

OK. So do you get the same flavor for the amount but NOT the salt content???

[Potkettleblack]

No. You don't get that. Because the salts contain some unknown amount of salt, measures to less salt than the equivalent weight of salt, and less garlic/onion than the equivalent of weight of granulated garlic/onion.

[Potkettleblack]

I have garlic salt in my house because my wife likes it on salt. I might have onion salt because my wife screwed up and bought it.
If you want powder, use powder. If you want salt, use salt. If you want both salt and powder, use both.

[Potkettleblack]

Part 3: As you likely want to dry or wet brine before cooking, you don't want to oversalt with a garlic salt. Since you cannot remove salt, only add it, it's better to be able to control the salt, by using powders and granulations, rather than salts.

[fuzzydaddy]

Welcome to The Pit DeepRiver. It's great to have you here. Thank you for your support.

Many of the meats I cook (pork butts, ribs, brisket, chicken) get their salt from brining, so I don't use spices with salt in them to make my rubs or I would be over-salting. I use Morton's Kosher salt exclusively.

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[jharner]

I use the powders on meat that I brine with kosher salt so that I don't over salt the cook. Check out Meatheads articles about salt and he will explain why he has removed salt from his rubs. Welcome to the Wikipedia of BBQ.

[MBMorgan]

I'll use a small amount of onion and garlic salt to season a non dry-brined burger or steak just before grilling. For everything else it's powder.

[DeepRiver]

Great answers everyone. Thank you!

[W.A.]

I tend to buy "granulated" garlic rather than the powder. I havent found granulated onion, but I think I would go with that too. If use mixe that equal parts kosher salt and coarse pepper you have a nice rub for anything. The BBQ Pit Boys call it SPG, i.e., salt pepper garlic.

[CeramicChef]

I tend to use granulated garlic vs. garlic powder. I'll use onion powder. I don't like those combined in a jar with salt unless I have determined the proportions.

So many proteins these day are "Enhanced" with a saline solution that using much more salt ruins the cook for me.

[Steambucket]

I have garlic salt for my wife's spaghetti and that is the only thing I use it on.